Vehicles for Sale Nearby

Acura CL

A short time after taking delivery of my 99 3.0CLI noticed a funny burnt smell emanating from under the hood. It was especially notable upon coming from to a stop. At first I thought it was probably some coating on the engine (or spilled oil) that was burning off, but it did not let up after several weeks. I took it in to the dealer, who discovered a cut in the valve cover gasket(which had to have been there from the factory. They quickly replaced it and I have had no further problems of that type. My CL is now 10 months old... a little over a month ago I decided to run the AC. I discovered that it did not work. A 'siren' type noise was audible when the AC was switched on. A trip to the dealer uncovered a broken seam in the compressor body.........all the refrigerant had leaked out. They replaced the compressor and related parts, and the critter works again. It took two days in the shop to repair this, as the parts were not readily available. I still like the car, especially because I got a great deal, and think I got a lot of car for the money.....BUT--- my last car was an Integra (made pretty much exclusively in Japan) and I had absolutely no problems with it (that were not caused by the driver) throughout its 165,000 miles. This makes me wonder about the quality control at Acura at present. Will I have more trouble? Does the fact that the CL is built in the US contribute deficiently to quality? Only time will tell.

Comments

OK, I'm starting to get interested in a Saab 9-3 Coupe primarily because the CL does not have enough headroom. Any reason to belive Acura will attempt to carve out more headroom in the near term, or perhaps offer a delete option for the sunroof?

I answered this question in the 2001 CL topic, but to keep it short, the answers are "no" and "no". I too would just as soon do without the sunroof, which is a useless appendage in the super-hot summers of the Calif Central Valley, but it is the perception of the market that this is something that helps define a "luxury car". Having bought the first 6 of what eventually became 13 Mercedes without a sunroof, this is of course so much marketing blather to me, but it is nevertheless what they believe, and I expect no changes for the life of the current design, which is likely to be 5 years.

Make sure you and your SAAB dealer have a good relationship - you're likely to get to know him pretty well. I might be more inclined to look to a BMW 3er, where at least you can custom-order a car without a SR, if you have the patience. As I mentioned in my other post, I like to sit as high as possible, and find the CL/TL to be a compromise in this respect, but it is not a show-stopper issue for me. Generally, EU cars are indeed better about this, and BMW in particular does not seem to flinch at the prospect of producing cars without holes in the roof.

I've seen both of your posts, thanks. I just don't see myself as the BMW type at all, so that's out. Besides, I'd actually prefer a front-driver.

I have read very mixed reviews on the Saab 9-3, and the fact that a redesign is due for 2003 will not help resale values. At least it has a bumper-to-bumper 50k warranty (I hear its needs it!). However my current car is 11 years old next month, 175k miles and counting. I need something new, and soon!

Yeah, a couple come to mind, but you might have to spend a bit more or less - I've tried the IS300, and it is impressive. Small overall, but headroom is not a problem. Any VW is something you should think about - a Passat is a wonderful design, though like SAAB, it would be a good idea to plan to keep a seat at your dealer as a regular thing. I tried the Toyota Solara when it first came out, but compared to the CL/TL the body is willowy and there are a lot of extraneous motions and vibrations as a result....might not bother you, though.

And dare I say it, the plain old Honda Accord [two of which are currently in our garage, at least temporarily], might be something to think about, though most of the 6s are EXs, which means the roof will have a hole. However, it is my experience that the EX V6 is a significantly and noticeably roomier car inside than the TL. Not much cachet, but most of the virtues of the TL at a price that will pay for a lot of vacation or whatever...[EX V6s in our neighborhood change hands pretty routinely at around $22.5-22.8k]. Std equip includes leather, side bags, CD [but no tape]...just a thought...

Thanks for the suggestions... or course only the Accord is available as a coupe, although I think the 2002 A4 will offer a coupe at somepoint in the model year.

Solara just doesn't do it for me. Accord might be a possibility, but yes I was looking for something more upmarket this time... hence my original interest in the Acura without account for the headroom problem.

i have a 99 2.3 CL ---on the highway in 5th gear -going about 80mph --the Tach sits at about 3000RPMs --doesnt this seem like alot --55mph is no longer a crusing speed --id say most people drive somewhere in the 70s and myself right up at 80 on my drive to work ---3000RPMs at 80mph seem like alot?

I drove this car and was VERY impressed. Quick as a cat and great on the handling. The car looks to be priced right. Can anyone suggest what's a good price? Looking to add the NAV system. Los Angeles area. Also, if you own one of these already, what's the good, bad and ugly? Thanks. dave

Go to topic 1819 in this forum - but brace yourself, mgt. has not been doing its job, and there are over 1500 posts on the thread. Take a look at the last couple of hundred, and you will get the answers to your questions. In NorCal, a Nav-S would go for $30.5 - $30.8, depending on color and dealer inventory. Base CLs, non-nav, are routinely advertised for $26.8. Have fun shopping...

Just wondering how all of you find the fit and finish on your CL's. I just took delivery of my CL-S and find the hood/front fenders/headlights very poorly fitted. The hood gaps between the left and right fenders are uneven, there is a gap between the bottom of one head lights and the bumper, etc. Can these body panels be adjusted to make them fit better?

What fit and finish??? This has been a common problem with 2001 CL models. The only misalignment the dealer was able to improve [not fix] on my CL-S was the alignment of the hood which was too far forward and overhanging the bumper at the front. My car has most of the issues you refer to plus the tunk is misaligned somewhat [not as bad as the front,] the passenger's door is misaligned where it meets the front bumper and the center console is skewed [or something] so that the glove box door, NAVI system display, and radio don't properly align. And don't get me started on the rattles!!!

But, I have no one to blame but myself!!! I saw many of these things when I picked up the car but I didn't want to wait to order another and didn't know if another one would be any better. [It probably would not have been!]

Let us know if your dealer is able to fix any of your issues! Also, you should use the Acura 2001 CL -- Part 2 topic as that's where we're hanging out!

I feel for you, bro! At least mine hasn't started rattling (yet). It just ticks me off big time to pay this much for a car and end up with GM or Chrysler quality. I've vented and ranted at Acura 2001 CL -- Part 2 also.

Wow. I never knew about any of these problems. I just bought my CL-S a little over a week ago and the first few days I just sat in it and marvelled at how nice everything was. I had the upgraded premium black wood kit and it all lines up perfect. Same with all the body lines. Guess Im lucky, hope I dont get any rattles, those are annoying.

I was looking into getting a corvette as well, and I would get so pissed looking at them. Everything was out of alignment on them, and the interior was cheap and rattled even when new. Not to mention I drove some a year and two years old, they were nasty.

I own a 99 Acura 3.0 CL and when I bought it, it started having rattles. I was back and forth to the dealer getting them fixed, and after the last time it hasn't rattled anymore. I have 24,000 on it now and it is superbly quiet. Who knows? Maybe these cars need time to settle?

i had one rattle that i fixed myself. i also fixed some possible 'suspects' in the trunk area which i probblaly wouldn't hear if it did rattle. the big rattle was where the center high mount brake lamp was...the bottom part of the edges of the plastic vibrated against the very very bottom of the glass, so i just stuck 2 3/4" square pieces of foam mold replacement there and no rattles since. took 5 minutes to do, but 2 weeks for me to track down the rattle.

I have 28000 miles (low miles!) and still love this car. I always look forward to driving it....a good sign that you like your car! I still good "looks" and "comments" about the CL. Although the new cl is prob a better car in some ways.........I don't think the looks are quite as elegant as the original design...but I suppose "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"...any way..........still love my cl!

National Sports Bar & Grill,West Covina, Fashion Plaza, Sunday September 24th, 10:30 AM. If enought people respond that they canmake it, I will check with the manager and see if we can get our own room. Bring your friends!!!

Can anyone definitively tell me what areas of the seats of a '99Cl 3.0 are REAL leather? Also, what about that little curtain of leather-looking material on the door? I detailed my car today, and I don't know what cleaner/protectant to put where.

I CURRENTLY OWN A 1995 INFINITI G20. ALTHOUGH I HAVE HAD GOOD LUCK WITH THIS CAR AND LOVE THE HANDLING, THE ACCELERATION IS A LITTLE SLOW. I AM LOOKING AT A USED 3.0 CL (A 1997) AND ALSO A '97 CADILLAC CATERA. AT THIS POINT I AM LEANING TOWARD THE CL BECAUSE OF ITS SPORTIER APPEARANCE AND FROM WHAT I HAVE HEARD, BETTER RELIABILITY. I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE COULD GIVE ME SOME REALLY GOOD REASONS WHY I SHOULD GO WITH THE ACURA WEATHER IT BE BAD THINGS ABOUT THE CATERA OR GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE ACURA.

You are mixing apples and oranges. It all depends on what you want in a car. Just for yourself, try to define 1)Your real requirements, 2)Your wish list, and 3)Your gut reactions to various auto attributes. With that, you can form your own conclusions based on critical thinking and practical experience. Otherwise, you could just as easily have included a Hummer and a Geo Metro.

Acura is very reliable. Parts are expensive, like brake calipers, rotors, and exhaust. Acura typically will go longer without squeaks and rattles than Cadillac. The Caddy probably has a whole lot more toys than an Acura at the same price point. Acura will hold its value better.

You might want to look in the Maint/Repair conference, there's a topic about Catera's. The '97-'98's seem to have a LOT of problems. There's no question in my mind the Acura will be far more reliable.

I drove a Catera and an Acura 3.2TL at the Edmunds Live! event in LA last week. There was no contest between the 2, the TL was far and away the better choice. The Catera was surprisingly gutless, and handled poorly. My opinion only, of course.